GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Museum of Natural History visitors can “get their game on” and transform into bees, bats and butterflies as part of the new “Amazing Pollinators” exhibit opening Jan. 25, 2020.

person interacting with exhibit
A visitor explores the unique way wasps pollinate figs in this higher level mission. Photo courtesy of Minotaur Mazes

The centerpiece of this unique bilingual exhibit is a playable maze depicting nine environments including a rainforest, desert and nocturnal room with hundreds of interactive flowers and plants. Guests can play the role of up to 48 different pollinators and visit these flowers to learn about pollination and the natural world.

“The maze offers an interactive experience that allows visitors to participate in the exhibit and take on pollination-themed missions,” said Florida Museum exhibit developer Jonnie Dietz. “In order to succeed, players have to think like a pollinator and navigate many of the challenges they face on a daily basis. In the process, participants learn about bizarre relationships between plants and pollinators, and how these animals support our ecosystems and food supply.”

Visitors may select a mission card and navigate the maze to learn about the chosen pollinator and its target plant species. After completing the mission, players may try a different pollinator group or select a higher-level mission.

Please note, visitors may explore the maze on their own but mission boards are required to participate in the missions.

The exhibit includes eight pollinator groups: bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, flies, moths and wasps. There are six missions for each group that increase in complexity and put players in the shoes of different species like the hibiscus bee, soldier beetle or ruby-throated hummingbird.

“Pollinators not only support our own food supply, but they are also vital to natural ecosystems and wildlife,” Dietz said. “Some plants and pollinators and have such specialized relationships that if one were to disappear, the other would surely follow.”

exhibit interactives
Guests may learn about the animals that help with pollination and build their own pollinator with fun interactives. Photo courtesy of Minotaur Mazes

The exhibit also features graphics and interactives with information on how to help pollinators at home and in the community, as well as an opportunity for guests to build their own powerful pollinator. The game parlor includes classic games with a twist like mason bee mancala, invasive species shuffleboard, mutualism dominoes and more. In the “Flight Zone” area, children may participate in a mini-mission by choosing a pollinator and flying them to their target flower in the maze.

Admission to “Amazing Pollinators” is $8 for adults; $7 for Florida residents, seniors and college students; $5.50 for ages 3-17 and free to museum members and UF students with a valid Gator 1 card. Complete admission pricing information is available online at www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/visit/plan. The Florida Museum will display the exhibit through Sept. 7, 2020.

This exhibit was created by Minotaur Mazes and sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, University of Florida Student Government and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

For more information, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/amazing-pollinators or call 352-846-2000.

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Writer: Nikhil Srinivasan, 352-273-2034, nsrinivasan@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Jonnie Dietz, 352-273-2048, jdietz@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, APR, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu